Noelle Rydell is an editor, author, and librarian. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from UW-Madison. She has worked as an editor for the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. Her story Hooks won first prize in Madison Magazine’s short fiction contest. Her poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in many publications and anthologies.

Grammar and Punctuation: Paths Toward Clarity

Become more professional in writing/editing work reports, office emails, or a novel or memoir. Option 1 includes 6 lively units cover everything from comma rules to sentence structure, helping both business and creative writers hone their English usage. Work at your own pace and receive one-to-one feedback. Option 2 includes a critique of up to 2,000 words of your work.

Does your boss or software flag too many mistakes in your writing? Are you tired of feeling uncertain about where to put apostrophes and commas? If you want to write more vivid and compelling prose, it's time to refresh your writing skills: grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.

This online course helps you learn or re-learn grammar and punctuation in a step-by-step way. Each step is short, clear, and easy to follow. One step or concept builds upon another.

Become more confident in your written voice, and who knows? Maybe your new tools will get you a new job or promotion, or will hone your novel’s language to a new edge. Mastery of language is a powerful tool, one you’ll use in all aspects of your life.

Who this course is for

This course is for anyone who wants better writing skills – for work reports, emails, and creative work (novels, even poetry). It’s for both native English speakers and those who have a good foundation in English as a foreign language.

You can go through the course at your own pace with no deadlines. It’s conducted one-on-one via email and is confidential. Your instructor invites your questions and addresses your specific concerns.

What this course covers

This outline presents the structure of the course. Remember, you move at your own pace and have up to a year to finish it.

Introduction:

The whys and hows of learning English grammar

Levels of formality and Standard Written English (S.W.E.)

Grammar terminology

25 common errors in written English

Part l. Stepping in: Basics

Sentences: Subject and predicate

Parts of speech

Kinds of sentences

Phrases, clauses, and fragments

Person, number, case

Matching nouns and verbs

Exercises

Quiz: self-test (No grades! Helps you see your own progress.)

Part 2. Pronouns: Small and Potent

Eight kinds of pronouns

Three kinds of personal pronouns

Compound constructions: multiple-personality subjects

Antecedents: find and match

Gender anxiety

That and Which, That and Who, Who and Whom

Exercises

Quiz: self-test

Part 3. Hooking Parts Together

Prepositions: small and legion

Conjunctions: hooks and ladders

Phrases and clauses

Prepositional phrases

Verbal phrases

Independent clauses and coordination

Dependent clauses and subordination

Restrictive and non-restrictive clauses

Most common errors

Quiz: self-test

Exercises

Part 4. Describe and Modify

Adjectives

Adverbs

Prepositions in description

Ambiguity: Dangling, misplaced, and squinting modifiers

Quiz: self-test

Exercises

Part 5. The Secret Life of Verbs

Tense: Dancing through time

Voice: Active and passive

Mood: Indicative, imperative, and subjunctive

Subjunctive mood: Nuanced and powerful

Quiz: self-test

Exercises

Part 6. Punctuation: Easier than you Think

Period

Comma

Semi-colon

Colon

Apostrophe

Question mark

Exclamation mark

Dash

Quotation marks

Ellipsis

British and American punctuation differences

Most common errors

Quiz: self-test

Exercises

Details

Cost: Option 1, $125 | Option 2, $150

Credit: Option 1, 2.0 CEUs | Option 2, 3.0 CEUs

Contact: For more information about Grammar and Punctuation: Paths Toward Clarity, contact Christine DeSmet at cdesmet@dcs.wisc.edu or call 608-262-3447.

Not a native English speaker?

Get the English training you need with our English Language Program: classes to help adult learners increase their knowledge of English and improve their ability to use English.